Caption: Nostradamus statue. Statue of the French physician and astrologer Michel de Notre Dame (Nostradamus, 1503-1566). Nostradamus rose to prominence as a gifted healer whilst dealing with an outbreak of the plague. From about 1547 he wrote prophesies about the future based on astrological calculations. These were published as Centuries in 1555 and contained prophecies from 1550 to the predicted end of the world in 3793. The prophecies were written in rhyme and were vague enough as to allow a range of interpretations. Photographed in Salon-de-Provence, France.